Combined ignition system.



R. H. CUNNINGHAM.

COMBINED IGNITION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1910,

1,026,565. Patented May 14, 1912.

FATE??? @FFICIE.

RIGHAR'B H. CU'JSTNINGEAM, (3F mor YORK, N.

GOMBZNEEEJ .TGNITIBDN SYSTEM.

hppiicetion filled; April 2:3,

To all whom it may concem Be it known that l Rrcnmio GUNNEHG- mm, o citizen oi the Unitetl Efiotes, residing at the city oi iierv Yorlrfin" the bOI'OtlglLOf Manhattan and State of New York, have invented" certain new and useful Improve-- meets in Combined Ignition Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and c3;- cct description.

, This invention relates to combined ignition systems, mid: more particularly to such a system comprising a selfroiiteined, high tension, static-nary inductor to be used in combination with internal combustion engines for ctlectiiig; ignition therein.

The ohg'ect of the present system and the devices comprised in the some is to fire the charge of explosive gas in on engine when I the latter is at rest, causing a spark to no produced by making circuit from a suitable external source oicurrent, such current be ing delivered through the cooperation of suitable devices in such manner as to effect the productionof plurality of current impulses whereby to cause torrent of sparks in the cylinder or like part of the engine.

In my device ?the current from seicl externel source invariably passes through a stationary winding of said inductor in such manner that demagnetization of the poles tl'iereoi or a reversal of polarity is substantially impossible when the rotatable ermeture of saiol inductor is inits usual resting positionyancl when properly timedswith respect to the-usual upright four cylinder four cycleengiiie.

A further object is to not alone prevent demagnetization of the said inductor poles, but to ectuallyserve to strengthen the permanent magnetic field; further, to so con duct the current from the external source which in this instance is ahattery, through the said stationary coil, when at very low speeds, es forexemple when. starting eu gines of large COIHPIGSEIGH, that theeuzril lary current may augmentor boost 'that'of the inductor, and onbeing interrupted will produce powerful secondary sparks inthe engine: cylinder at e tectly the correct nice merit. p Other objects of my, invention will he hereipufte r set forth end-particularly pointed out the appended claims."

Referring to/the lrewiugs which: form e aart of this disclosure'z- *ie'ure l diomtamv e.) m

niatically illustrates the several ports and Specifimrticzi'oz'ietters Patent.

Poteritettlviey is, 1231?,

Serial m. 525 421 connections tl'iereootween. Fig. 2 is a frognientory section. of the extremity of the incluotor shaft. Fig. is a, perspective VlLW of e modification of the inductor.

In the particular embodiment of my invention herein shown the inductor alternata four pole rotor, although it is obvious that o greater or less number or poles may he used if desired. The north and south poles ofthe stator have respectively been designatecl 2 end Tlhese poles are disposed with respect the rotary armature at 90 apart; and the armature-or rotor comprises 2. soft iron cylindrical central member or core 5, end end portions 6, which portions are preferably of laminated soft iron. The two laminated members or port-ions 6 are disposed at opposite emls oi the core 5, on

substantially at right angles to each other. lhis construction afiords o; reversal of the lines of force in the armature for every 90 crater will. hereinafter he r'eferrccl to simply as theinductor and has :1 primary Wind ing 7 ends secondary Winding 8. Both windings are preferably fixedly mounted in suitable extensions 9 which are cerriefi by the respective poles of the inductor, These extension pieces as shown are somewhat U- sheped in cross section; end may be made of brass, if so desired; or if not'cerried into too close proximity to the core'io, may be made of iron. A. shaft it} exteriors out- Wet-(Hy from-end in eliiieme'ntwith the exis of core 5, and carries thereupon a four part commutator 11, the respective sets of segmerits 12 sir-M133 of which are properly insulated from each other by'meerrs of-insulating strips '14 which may be of fiber or other suitable material. Brushes l5 and 16 are insuleteclly mounted as shown, and are disposed WltlEIQSPi-ZCZ to eech'other at suhstaiitiolly 90. The armature is adapted to 1'0- itate counterclockwise as indicated by the ar- 'row" 17 and the wincliug of. the primary "wire is-suchthat when said. se m-re islso rotated with the permanent poles disposed as showm-ourrent will traverse the lead 18 from said primary winding in the direction lead. O vviri to the presence of the commutator an Q the particular arrangement thereof; the direction of the induced current ing generator 1, shown in Fig. 1, comprises of rotation of the seine. The, iiidoctor-genof the arrow shown in connection with sairl v ,isreversecl periodically every 9Q of rotation l of the armature, so that the current 'eleliw;

ered is an unidirectional, pulsatory one. The secondary is as aforesaid also preferably stationary, and is. connected in series with a suitable distributer 19 which may be of any well known type; one lead 19 of the secondary being grounded as indicated, and

the other being connected to the usual distributing sector 20? of the distributer.

The commutator segments 13 are electrically connected to each other and by means of a lead 20, to an insulatedly mounted conducting member 21, carried by the inductor shaft. The extremity of the shaft has been shown in Fig. 2, wherein said lead 20 extends down through an insulating sleeve 22 which extends out laterally through the shaft 23 and a corresponding sleeve 2% extends axially .of said shaft and carries therein the conductive member 21. The second set of segments 12 of the commutator, if a four part commutator used, are grounded to the shaftat 26. Aneconomizer box 27 of substantially the same general constrsction as has been described in my co-pending application Serial No. 540,781, filed Jan. 29, 1910, is disposed so that the extremity of the shaft carries thereupon the breaker box cam 28, whichmay be of fiber or other suitable material. and this cam is substantially simi lar to that'described in the said companion application. In this instance, however, cam

, 28 is so formed that it is adapted to break 3 may be here observed also that the lever is grounded to the said casing at this point. A bracket 34 is mounted upon one side of the interior of said casing, and is properly insulated therefrom by means of fiberstrips or the like, and this bracket carries a suit able adjusting screw 35, the upper end of which forms contact 30. Contact 29is car-. ried upon the free end of lever 31. Brackets 36 and 37 are mounted substantially opposite to the bracket 34 and are .so disposed with respect to each other that two springs 38 and 39 which are respectively carried by brackets 36 and 37 may normally maintain contacts40 and 41, which are respectively carried upon the ends'of springs 38 ,and 39, just out of contact with each other. Button 42 is disposed upon the upper side of the extremity, for engagement with cam 28, and this button is so disposed with respect to said cam and to roller 32 that contact will be made between the contact points 40 and 41 only an instant prior to the breaking of contact point 59 which is fixe contact between contact points 29 and 30. It follows from this action that when the engine is in operation and the battery is I thrown into circuit, the curn'ent is only permitted to flow from the battery-for a Very short period during each half evolution of the shaft 10. The purpose of his arrangement has been more particularly set out in my cospendin application aforesaid. A

suitable brush 1s provided for taking current off from the end of the conductor 21 carried in the interior of end of shaft 10, and a lead 43 extends from this brush to a. contact 44'.

is normally adapted to be". disposed in one of two positions, namely, that marked Bat, and in which p'ositio the switch is shown in Fig. 1, and that designated Inductor.

A suitable battery 54L is indicatedin Fig. 1.; and a button switch 55 is indicated in the upper portion of said figure; two sets of contacts being operated successively when the button 56 of said switch is dep'iessed. This button is supported in'any suitable manner, and when depressed, the unde side thereof engages a resilient element 57, hereby breaking contact between a point 58 carried by said element, and a c rresponding d to a permanently disposed's'tvitch element 60. A second resilient element 61 which carries a contact (32, is adapted to be placed in electrical communication with a resilient element 63, which carries a conta'ctfi l; the action of the buttonbeing suclrthat'when depressed, contact between points and'59 is broken, and at the same instant, or practically at the same instant,fconta ct*is made between the point 62 and 64.5 1

A vibrator is shown at 65, wherein the usual eliectromagnet'66 has disposed thereupon a suitable conductive coil 67, and also carries a light trembler spring 68 which is disposed in electrical contact with the core "of the magnet. The, spring 68 carries the armature 69 and a; contacting lug 70 which is engaigeztble witlia suitable screw 71. A lead 72 connectsth'e adjustable screw or stud 71 with contact 49 of the switch; current from said lead traversing the stud 71, 111g 70, spring 68 and one end of the core, and

thence through the cbil 67 disposed thereen.

possible to maintain the button in its depressed condition for any desired length oftime without -materially wasting current from the battery, and at the same time producing in manner above described, a torrent of sparks in the proper cylinder. The combination ofv the button switch shown with the remaining parts of my device is also believed to be novel, in that when his depressed current is obtained from the battery and the induced current is delivered in the manner aforesaid in high tension oscillatory form to the proper cylinder, while when the button is not so actuated, a circuit is established whereby upon cranking the cylinder, battery current may be used to the same end. Finally, I wish particularly to direct attention to the novel arrangement of parts herein presented, which involves the use of an All parts of the said inductor,

inductor. including the primary and secondary windings are stationary, except the rotatable armature. By reason of this construction, I have virtually provided a stationary induction coil which serves in combination with the battery to attain the results usually obtained from induction coils. This coil is not alone an induction coil in the ordinary sense, but further constitutes the primary and secondary coils of a rotary inductor, and is usable in connection therewith by reason of the provision of a commutator and its insulated brushes, and when the armature of the inductor is not being rotated connections are nevertheless established for using the said coilsas an ordinary inductioncoil in the manner aforesaid. There is of course the further advantage in this construction that as herein presented there need be practically no moving wires, whatsoever in the system.

It is obvious of course that the inductor maybe of other types than that shown in Fig. 1', and I have illustrated a modification thereof in Fig. 3, wherein the stator poles are disposed 180 from each other and the rotor is of a two pole type, comprising a core with end pieces or poles 6 at either end thereof, projecting in opposite directions. The commutator 11 in this instance comprises two segments one of which is connected to ground at the shaft and the other to a conductive member axially disposed in teriously upon the stator poles.

should be here noted,

however, that there is also a peculiar coaction between the inductor-generator and the other parts of my system. In action this type of generator tends to destroy its permanent field; the rotor reacting dele- Now as my apparatus as previously described contemplates not alone a .boosting action by the battery current upon the generator current, but in use actually strengthens the permanent field of the inductor; this counter-balancesthe deleterious action above described and maintains the generator at its limit of efficiency. As a matter of interest in this connection, I find that it is actu lly unnecessary to initially magnetize the tator parts,

since they will be properly magnetized by merely starting from a suitable battery. This conclusively demonstrates the value of my arrangement, and as aforesaid, its peculiar applicability to a system comprising an inductor alternating generator; the combination of parts above described insuring .of said segments, circuit breaking means in circuit with saidprimary winding and nor mally in contact whenthe magneto is at rest, an external source of current, a switch for cutting said external source of current into or out of cig'cuitv with said primary winding, as desire vibratory meansadapted to be placed in'circuit with said primary winding and said external source offcurrent, and an auxiliary normally open contact- Inaking device in circuit with the external, source of'current, current flowing through said vibratory means and throu h the primary winding aforesaid from said external source only when said device is actuated by the operator.

2. In a combined ignition system, a mag, neto having an armatureand primary and, secondary windings, a distributer in circui with said secondary winding, an'external source of current, means for throwin -source .ofcurrent in circuit with a pr1mary winding of saidmagneto, a commutator in said circuit, and a breaker box comprising means for automatically and periodically interrupting current through said primary winding, re ardless of the source of current therethroug said box further comprising additional periodically actuated circuit making contacts for economizbreaking an ing the flow of current from said external source when the .latter periodicity of actuation. of said contacts be ,ing; the same as that of the periodic circuit ing of said magneto and a part of said com mutating device, an external source of current, and'a plurality of circuit making devices at leastone of which is normally closed and another of-which is normally open, connections between said external source of current and said devices, and between some of said devices and said primary winding, and means for opening one of said normally closed circuit making devices whereby one of said normally open circuit making devices which is in circuit with said primary winding may be cut out of circuit, said means substantially simultaneously closing another of said devices of the latter type and means for causing pulsations in the current from said external source.

4. In a combined ignition system, a magneto having primary and secondary windings, a commutating device, means for atfording connection between a primary winding of said magneto and a part of said commutating device, an external source of current, and a plurality of circuit making de vices at least one of which is normally closed and another of which is normally open, connections between said external source of current and said devices, and between some of said devices and said primary winding,

and means for opening one of said normally closed circuit making devices whereby one .of said normally open circuit making devices which is in circuit with said primary winding may be cut out of circuit, said means substantially simultaneously closing another of said devices of the latter type, and'a vibrator in circuit with said" external source.

5. In a combined ignition system, a magneto having. a primary winding, a commutating device, an external source of current,

aplurality of automatic contact making dc-- vices, means for successively actuating said devices in accordance with the movement of the magneto armature shaft, :1 switch having two positions, electrical connections l)()-' tween said primary winding, one of said contact-making devices and said switch forming. a circuit includin such parts when the switch is in one position, and additional connections electrlcally uniting another of said contact-making devices, the switch and the external source of current, said last mentioned connections cooperating with the con-- nections aforesaid to form a circuit ncluding said primary winding, second contactmaking device, external source of current and the switch when the latter is in its second position.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my ignature, in the presence of two witnesses RICHARD H. CUNNINGIIKM.

Witnesses:

lVALno M. CHAPIN, Janus D. ANTONIO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 01' Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

